Clinicians

Ahh Seattle… How I missed you! I had the absolute pleasure visiting one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the privilege to teach PRI. I flew in early this time and was able to finally scratch my bucket list line item of going up the Space Needle! I visited the Pikes Place Market, took in an Underground Walking tour and learned all about how the Pioneers developed the city of Seattle. I ate my fair share of seafood and fueled up for the weekend ahead.

10 years ago, I assisted James Anderson in teaching the very first PRI course in Seattle. PRI has grown so much in the last 10 years, but nothing like the firestorm that hit this area. Seattle has so many amazing clinicians that have really grabbed hold of the science and ran with it.

I had the help of my PRI friend Zac Hawthorne. Zac did a great job helping during lab, sharing his insights with our class and answering questions.

This weekend I taught Pelvis Restoration at Pro Sports in Redmond, Washington. The staff Amanda, Cory, Siera, and Nathan made me feel so welcome, it hardly felt like I was working.

Pelvis Restoration is a great first course as it allows for a nice blend between Myokinematics of the Hip and Pelvis and concepts introduced in the Postural Respiration course. My attendees ranged from 8 “Newbies” to experienced PRI clinicians. This was a nice mix for learning and integrating effective evaluation tools and treatment interventions. I hit home the concepts of Respiration and Gait as it relates to the inlet and outlet and how that presents in patients suffering from diagnosis of Iliosacral pain, pelvic floor conditions, lower back pain and pubalgia.

My own recent course attendance at I & I, the Non-manual technique workshop and PRI for Pilates really helped me teach Pelvis concepts this weekend. I did my best to keep to the Pelvis concepts but relevant to the science taught in other courses. The integration of outlet and mediastinum inhibition using the objective tests such as how a PADT and posterior medisatinal outlet expansion tests, bridge the gap between the pelvis and thorax.

Special thanks to Taylor, Anna, Lisa, Jake, Elena and Steve for helping with lab demonstrations this weekend. I will now take a much needed rest and look forward to being back on the road in September in the Big Apple!

Who knew that following Ron’s advice many years ago to find a dentist who appreciates the influences of airway, neutral TMJ position and occlusion would take me to Vilnius, Lithuania? I have had the privilege of working with a multidisciplinary team of dentists, Dara Chira DMD orthodontist, Jeff McClendon DMD restorative dentist, and Michael Gunson DDS, MD orthognathic surgeon for the treatment of complex TMD, Airway and Occlusal patients. We have been invited to speak at various dental conferences on our multidisciplinary approach to care (Lips, Teeth, and Tongue to Toes). Most recently we spoke at the Baltic Sea Community on Orthognathic Surgery and Orthodontics Spring course on “The Gravity of Temporomandibular Disorders Treatment “in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The conference opened with dental radiologist Dania Tamimi BDS, DMSc presenting on radiographic evaluation of the TMJ. I just about fell out of my seat when she showed a left cranial side bend and how it affects the TMJ, mandibular position and occlusion!! This made my discussion of the RTMCC so much easier for the participants to understand. There were lectures by orthodontists, and orthognathic surgeons as well. Dr. Mariano Rocabado DPT presented arthrokinematics of the craniovertebral and craniomandibular areas with the influences of manual therapy on the cervical spine and its impact on neutral TMJ. All the lectures and especially Dania and Dr. Rocabado's lectures were a perfect set up for our team to close the meeting with how we work together to achieve balance for our patients on so many levels. My part was very well received as I was able to develop the PRI concepts from an Advanced Integration approach including LAIC, RBC, RTMCC, muscle chains, forward head posture, asymmetrical patterns and the importance of the diaphragm and attaining proper breathing mechanics and ZOA with its influences on temporal and mandibular position and function. It was great fun demonstrating a balloon technique to 230 participants from 30 different countries!!! I am very excited about the feedback we got after and how open minded the group of dentists were to the idea of occlusion being more than just about the teeth!!! They really do like looking at teeth though!!!!

We were able to stay a few extra days and tour Lithuania and Latvia which included a tour of a 14th century castle on Trakai Island, Riga, Hill of Crosses and The Rondale Palace!! The trip was absolutely extraordinary!!!

I am so grateful for all the continued education and support that Ron, Jen, Jason, RJ and many others have had over the years in helping me understand the science of PRI, the application of PRI for better patient outcomes and for helping me with spreading the word to other professionals on how important it is for patients to work with a PRI minded clinician.

This past week, at our Annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium, we presented the PRI Director’s Dedication Award to three very deserving individuals who have had a tremendous impact on our Institute over the years; Donna Parise Byrne, Dan Houglum, and Josh Olinick. The PRI Director’s Dedication Award was established by the Board of Directors (Ron Hruska, Janie Ebmeier, Jennifer Platt and Bobbie Rappl) in 2012 to recognize individuals’ ongoing dedication to their advancement in PRI.

Donna Parise Byrne attended her first PRI course in 2009, and has taken 28 PRI courses since that time. She was a member of the 2012 Postural Restoration Certified™ (PRC) class. Donna's background and love for Pilates led to discussions with Ron Hruska about PRI's integration with Pilates very early on in her PRI journey. This later led to her involvement with the PRI Affiliate Course, PRI Integration for Pilates, which was offered for the first time in 2017. Those who have attended this course, have loved it, and we look forward to watching it grow in attendance in the coming years. Donna owns Pilates Central in Wilmette, Illinois, where she has hosted several PRI courses over the years.

Dan Houglum attended his first PRI course in 2004, and over the past 16 years he has attended 45 PRI courses. He was also a member of the 2012 Postural Restoration Certified™ (PRC) class. Dan spent much of his early career working in corporate PT/rehab settings, and in 2015 he opened Houglum Physical Therapy so that he could offer one-on-one hour long patient care at two locations: Pilates Central (with PRC colleague Donna Parise Byrne) in Wilmette, Illinois, and The Trainer's Club in Deerfield, Illinois. Dan joined the PRI Faculty in 2016, and teaches Myokinematic Restoration. His students love him, and his background in athletic training, corporate PT, and now private practice offers a great blend of experience to all of those attending. He has put together a wonderful white paper to help colleagues and students further titled, Hruska Abduction and Adduction Lift Tests as Related to the Gait Cycle.

Josh Olinick attended his first PRI course in 2006 as a PT student, after being introduced to PRI by Kyndy Boyle (a past PRI Directors Dedication Award Recipient) who was on faculty at Elon University. Josh and his wife Katie own STEPS for Recovery in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a clinic which offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Over the past 14 years, Josh has taken 31 PRI courses. He was a member of the 2011 Postural Restoration Certified™ (PRC) class. In 2010, Josh co-authored "The Value of Blowing up a Balloon" with Kyndy Boyle and Cynthia Lewis, which was published in the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. Josh's background in engineering makes his brain fit for PRI, and he is always askign great questions, he frequently submits ideas and white papers (see all of his papers on his bio here) to help others learn and understand PRI better, and he always has his patient's and other PRI colleague's back. In his spare time, he has hand-crafted around a dozen PRI logos in all kinds of woods, which are proudly displayed in clinics across the country.

Congratulations to all three of these wonderful individuals. We are so honored and proud to know you and have you associated with our Institute! CLICK HERE to view all of the photos from the award presentations.

Just wrapped up a thoroughly enjoyable weekend at the beautiful Minot State University in Minot, ND teaching Myokinematic Restoration. Thank you to Minot State faculty Dr. Heather “Rockstar” Golly and the Beth Marschner “twins” for their help in coordinating this course at their gorgeous third floor facility with a view of the campus. The Minot State team made me feel like family from start to finish. This class included an interdisciplinary group of movement scientists including Maci Severson, ATC, Holly Thompson, PT, Kevin Melby ATC, PTA, Dawn Mattern, MD among others in a largely new to PRI crowd. Many thanks to newly minted PT, PRC Bridget Anderson, who did a great job as lab assistant throughout the course.

Course participants engaged in discussions about PRI theoretical principles, scientifically based rationale for testing and treating the normal asymmetry seen and learned special tests to assess acetabulum and femur relationships. Course participants like Kevin Melby, Micki LaDage, Jodi Swedlund, Samantha Brizee among others volunteered to participate in lab activities to practice PRI special tests and how to use PRI techniques to develop a treatment plan with progression. Thank you to all who helped during lab time by allowing course participants to see examples of normal polyarticular chain patterns of muscle and inhibition techniques that affect them!

A lively, thoughtful and robust group, it helped me really enjoy my time in the “sister state” of North Dakota this weekend. Thank you each for adding to PRI nation and for jumping into the science of PRI with candor and zest!

Paula Webster, PT, invited us into her Canton, CT, clinic for the weekend to host Postural Respiration. This was one of the most unique clinics I’ve seen: a renovated 1812 home, with its original bee hive fireplace, whose previous owner was involved in the abolitionist movement.

This was the first PRI exposure for close to half of the participants. It was also a first for me to have a gastroenterologist in attendance, Dr. Kiran Sachdev, who provided insights into the connection between GI issues and patterned respiratory mechanics.

Discussion opened with the asymmetrical diaphragm and its role in patterned lumbo-sacral-pelvic mechanics below and rib and humeral-glenoid mechanics above, driving us into L AIC and R BC patterns that direct air flow patterns and influence every physiologic system in the body.

As always, the concept of the Zone of Apposition, as needed on the left, was thoroughly defined. This left ZOA indicates left lower ribs that are held down, in, and back to lateralize the body to the left and enable healthy air flow directed into the left posterior mediastinum and right apical areas. With a sufficient ZOA, the left hemi-diaphragm is able to regulate and balance thoracic pressure and abdominal pressure so that its dual roles of respiration and stabilization are preserved.

We emphasized the three-dimensional function of the abdominal-pelvic and thoracic cavities, and discussed numerous examples of “deflated, converged” cages and thoracic flat back posture, presentations that require over-activity of necks, bellies, and backs to breathe.

Then it was off to the gym for lab time, to practice PRI’s objective tests, including the new "posterior mediastinum respiratory reach test", along non-manual and manual techniques. Attendees put their hands and minds to work to facilitate and experience the powerful sense of rib cage expansion and freedom. How apropos to sense this freedom within a former abolitionist’s home!

Thank you to Paula’s Canton PT colleagues, Jeanne Daubert, DPT, Heather Mogielnicki, OT, and Shanya Stearns, DPT, for welcoming us into your clinic and tending to the nitty-gritty to help the course run smoothly. Thank you to Robert Barksdale, DScPT, FAAOMT, for your crucial A-V assistance. I also appreciate the willingness of everyone to act as models for various demonstrations. You were a fun group to hang out with all weekend!

"A PRI Approach to Chiropractic Alignment of The Spine", was presented by Ron Hruska on March 10th at the ACA Rehab Council! The two days prior to this presentation were as significant as the topics being discussed. What culminated as a room full of Chiropractic Doctors Blowing up a Balloon, started with collaborative discussions revolving around concepts such as rotation, orientation, respiration and, perhaps most prevalent, alignment of the spine. Coincidentally these concepts aligned themselves well with what was already being discussed by other vendors, presenters and most importantly Students.

After recently attending the APTA Combined Sections and then two months later this conference, it is apparent that the desire to collaborate and integrate among professions is at an all-time high! The students of these organizations are approaching their careers with an Integrative mindset and an overall interest in collaboration. Ron enjoyed discussing the future of this integrative approach with each of the student chiropractors in attendance and was able to show the powerful potential that PRI has within their profession. The group from Keiser University had a strong student presence and a few poster presentations even discussed topics such as the “Zone of Apposition” and Respiration as primary concepts! It was so awesome to see this PRI activity occurring without previous knowledge or awareness of its incurrence!

On the second day we were met by PRI Faculty member Dr. Robert “Skip” George, which allowed us to strengthen the Link between the Director of our Institute, a Physical Therapist, and the Chiropractors in attendance. Skip is a walking Reference Center of clinical knowledge and experience, and his input within our discussions was unprecedented. PRI truly is a common language that can be used and utilized by us all, not just one group or another. This particular group of Rehab professionals understood that long before our arrival.

They were not only excited and welcoming of our Institute but embraced the collaboration and encouraged it within their own organization. It was quite frankly refreshing to be a part of. With Ron’s presentation falling on the last day of this conference we were excited to see how many attendees stayed around to hear the culmination of Ron’s career. Skip gave a wonderful introduction about his relationship with Ron and this Institute to over 60 filled seats! PRI objective testing and core concepts were strengthened and the use of a few Non-Manual techniques allowed the group to appreciate the ability to integrate it into their daily practice.

Thank you to President Dr. Jeff Tucker, and everyone at the American Chiropractic Association Rehab Council for inviting us to this symposium. I would encourage anyone that appreciates this Science to strongly consider reaching out to an integrative minded Chiropractor in their area to collaborate with, converse with and possibly be challenged by, in order to strengthen the relationship between us all! We are excited for the future growth and collaboration between our organizations, and are hopeful that your patients and clients will see a direct increase in their results!

I headed to Philadelphia this past weekend and actually went to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to teach one of my absolute favorite classes: Impingement and Instability. There were 20 of us at TTR performance (The Training Room Physical Therapy) where Nick Perugini DPT, CSCS and Ryan Wolff, DPT played host and made sure that we were well taken care of. This was my first time and TTR and the facility is huge!

New Jersey and the Philly area are becoming a strong hot bed of PRI as the area continues to grow steadily in this knowledge. The folks in the class were switched-on and asked tons of questions as we moved through the material that focuses on a deep understanding of ground-up sensation and the use of neurological "reference centers" in the human form to aid in repositioning, establishment of neutrality, and repatterning/retraining.

we moved through management of impingement areas in the ankle, knees, hips and shoulders. We covered the concept that most folks really WANT to impinge! if you can't eliminate the desire to impinge then you will never reduce patient symptoms. We debunked myths through citation of multiple research articles that help the learner understand WHY we do what we do in PRI. if you have never taken this class before, I strongly urge you to consider getting signed up for it. it is truly a game changer for all who complete this rigorous material. I teach this next in in August in Austin, TX but James is teaching it in April and June in NC and IL. Ron is doing it in Germany in September! Get registered!

Minneapolis, Minnesota at Impact Physical Medicine and PRISM Aquatics Center. That’s where I spent this past weekend teaching Cervical Revolution to a group of 34 movement specialists who had a profound interest in PRI and the myriad compensatory strategies that humans develop to manage the neck and head. Stan Babel, the owner of Impact, is a powerhouse and a truly dedicated fan of PRI and goes way back to the early days of PRI. He worked with Ron long ago as this science was being first brought forward. He and Ron built the first PRISM pool in the world at Impact and it is still going today. Christie Amundsen PT, DPT, HFS, PRT and Mara Brandsoy OTR/L, PRC helped me get settled in and assisted me with our labs. Those two are just about the best and listening to them talk with course attendees and with Stan made me feel like one of the family. I always feel so welcome there. The Impact crew really knows their stuff.

This Cervical Revolution class is such a game-changer for so many attendees and it can be for you as well. Did you know that cranial strain patterns as identified in the literature can and are frequently reduced through breathing techniques? Did you know that those same strain patterns are the result of cervical spine positioning? Did you further know that dental integration with PRI certified clinicians is an excellent mechanism for reduction of cervical patterned movement (or lack there of)? Did you know that dentists regularly attend PRI courses? This is because they realize that PRI provides them with the absolute best mechanism for aiding them in understanding the complexity of their neurological oral appliances. Our courses also arm them with understanding of a wide variety of other oral appliances as well! It is our hope that you will discover these exciting and new ways of learning the complexity of the human body as it relates to asymmetry. I hope I see you soon in a Cervical Revolution class. You’ll be glad you attended!

It was a very cold weekend here in Lincoln Nebraska, and as a result of the weather and having a weekend off from course instruction, I had the opportunity to read, reflect and integrate. Therefore, it was a great weekend. This morning, I am reflecting again on material I read and perused, some of which was written by our speakers who are coming to Lincoln in April for the Spring Symposium. It is difficult to focus on what I need to do this week, because of my excitement for this collaborative event. Each of the speakers I have met and talked to in one form or another, and they all are people that have so much in common and so much to offer because of their dedicated work and dedicated pursuance of advanced work that is built off of integrative collaboration. I look forward to you meeting them and learn how they will help you advance your effort with airway oscillation, incorporation of glottal alignment and regulation of vibration in treating conditions associated with postural asymmetry.

After spending a day with Ruth Hennessy and some of her vocal clients a few days ago, while in NYC, I received this text message from Ruth. “I have a voice student I Skype with in Australia who has, for several years, been telling me about her amazing osteopath and how we are so on the same wavelength. Yep, it’s Rosalba Courtney! My student has taken some of her breathing classes in Sydney. Small world!”

This weekend of cogitation has reminded me of how small of a world it really is, when you reflect on how our interpersonal lives are really tied to those with similar adventures, study, interests, habits and relationships. All of this year’s Symposium speakers have two things in common, breath and body position. And I can’t wait to see and hear them interact with each other and with you in the SAME room. If you have not decided yet on whether or not to come to this opportunity, reconsider what I reflected on this weekend; this unique personal connection of our ‘small worlds’ WILL NOT happen again like it will on April 11th and 12th. For those of you coming, I am eager for you to meet these speakers and experience the energy they will bring you, and your clients or patients through this assembly. Over the next few weeks, I will expound on my personal reasons for asking them to participate, and expand and consolidate our ‘small worlds.’

I am excited to introduce "The Postural Restoration Podcast" with #PRINation! Many of you may be familiar with our featured interviews, and you may have even been highlighted on one in the past. We will now be using this Podcast for our Featured
Interviews as a way to better familiarize the general public with not only our Faculty but also our Certified Providers. Check out the description of the first episode below, and I promise that not every episode will be this lengthy!

"Welcome to the first episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast! In this Episode, I am joined by Founder and Director of the Postural Restoration Institute, Ron Hruska. The foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute resulted from many years of Clinical Practice and a strong interest in the patterns and positioning that at the time seemed to be the cause of many patients’ pain and dysfunction.

Ron discusses his time in Graduate school pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration after receiving his Physical Therapy degree from the University Of Nebraska Medical Center. His time working at the V.A. Medical Hospital as well as his eventual role as Director of Physical Therapy at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln, NE both played roles in his desire to look at and treat the human body through a multidisciplinary, systematic approach.

This led Ron to create other ways of treating patterned dysfunction, initially through the use of the first “Re-Positioning” device called Protonics. Although Protonics looked and seemed to function to many in the orthopedic world as a Patello-Femoral “Brace”, it was actually much more. Using this device allowed him to "Re-Pattern” bi-lateral chains of muscle and look at orthopedics from a Femoral-Patella lens.

Eventually this device left Ron with the desire to move into the private practice setting, in order to dedicate more time to roles with the APTA Association, and more time dedicated to learning and discovering further ways to develop his ideas. Protonics allowed him to connect with and teach other clinicians, including some of the first PRI Faculty members. Following the creation of the Hruska Clinic, Restorative Physical Therapy Services in 1999, Ron worked with fellow Physical Therapist Jason Masek and others to create some of the earliest PRI Non-Manual Techniques.

As this science continued to grow, PRI DirectorJanie Ebmeier was put in charge of helping to develop what would become the first Postural Restoration course which would later be renamed to “Postural Respiration”. With the foundation of the Postural Restoration Institute in 2000, other courses including the "Influence of the Pelvic-Femoral Complex" which was later called Myokinematic Restoration was a quick addition. We now are proud to offer more than 15 different courses, which have been developed to build upon these three Primary Courses

I welcome you to join us on this journey as we continue to explore how the creation of this science has changed the way coaches and clinicians approach the treatment of the human body."